upport.

FOX'S INDIA BILL.

Although in office, Fox was still unreconciled to the monarch. He
felt, moreover, that by his ill-fated coalition he had forfeited the
confidence of the people. Under these circumstances, he resolved to
seek the restoration of his popularity, and to consolidate his power, by
producing some great measure, which should at once charm and profit the
nation. India afforded him a fine field for legislating, and with the
assistance of Burke he concocted a bill for its government. He gave
notice on the day when parliament reassembled, that he would produce
this bill on the 18th of November, and when that day arrived he was in
his place for that purpose. He moved for leave to bring in a bill for
vesting the affairs of the East India Company in the hands of certain
commissioners, for the benefit of the proprietary and the public. This
memorable bill proposed to take the entire administration both of their
territorial and commercial affairs from the directors and proprietors,
and to vest it in the hands of seven commissioners, named in the bill,
who were to be irremovable by the crown, except in consequence of an
address of either house of parliament. These commissioners were to be
assisted by a subordinate board of nine directors, to be chosen in the
first instance by parliament, and afterwards by the proprietors. The
bill empowered these commissioners and directors to enter immediately
into possession of all lands, tenements, books, records, vessels, goods,
merchandize, and securities in trust for the company. They were
required to decide on every question within a certain time, or to assign
sufficient reason for delay. They were never to vote by ballot, and were
generally required to enter on their journals the reasons of their vote.
Every six months they were to submit an exact schedule of accounts to
the court of proprietors; and at the commencement of every session were
to present a statement of their affairs to both houses of parliament.
This act was to continue in force four years: that is, till the year
after the next general election. It was accompanied by another
bill, enacting regulations for the future government of the British
territories in India. This second bill took from the governor-general
all power of acting independently of his council; declared every
existing British power in India incompetent to the acquisition or
exchange of any territory in behalf of the company; to the